Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-24
HOW To MAKE MONEY.
An Industry that the Government Jeai.
Ously MOnOpOIixes.

An Industry that the Government Jeal.
Ously MOnopoIixes.
WHERE GREESBAcKs AND BASK-NoTEs ARE MADE
THE BUREAU or ENGRAVING AND PRINTING AND
RS BRAScHks-CBRcKs TO PREVENT uSAuTHoR-
LIED IMITATION or TEE CURRENCY.
Ike to spend just lew dollars more than he has
In his pocket, why could not the swart pressmen
at the Bureau OF Engraving and Printing work
over time little and print few hundred mil
lions for general circulation, to be spent on the
sacred honor Of every citizen, only for turkeys and
toys, ana beautiful gifts for loved ones II the
money one Of thoss inky printers makes every
time he gives turn TO the long levers OF his press
was exchanged for turkeys at current rates there
would be enough turkeys II strung together. to
extend from the Printing Bureau to the White
House, ana all the pressmen working together
might nval Puck In putting q girdle OF turkeys
around the earth. Some reflections OF this kind
niled the mind OF STAB reporter, az he stood at
one end OF the vast printing room OF the large
building, just south Of the monument groundA
and looked down the long lines Of plate-printing
presses, with their busy attendants all intent or
making money. One would think from the In
dustry OF Tue scores OF men and women, and the
growing stacks OF money beside each press that
some grand scheme OF Imitation was being carried
out But this labor Is being performed simply 20
the paper money OF the country.
Not only will the Government not permit any
tion but IL does not even allow these printers 10
strike on now and then . few extra sheets for
themselves. twill not even let one OF them take
the plates and some OF the paper he works with 70
his home and do little printing for himself OF
office hours This may seem q little hard on rs
face, but when one thinks OF the difneulty Treas
currency OF the country IL each plate printer WIS
allowed TO go into printing Treasury notes for him
he IA prarf
rule Occasionally citizens who are dissatisfied
with the illberal spirit shown by the Governments
up printing establishments. and make attempts TO
produce hush times by increasing the circulation
The Government however. suppressss all such iaud-
HOW THE GOVERNMENT GUARDS IT'S CURRENCY
The checks with which the Government sur
rounds the making OF paper money begin az one
end OF the line at the paper mill, where the dis
tinctive paper on which notes and revenue stamps
are printed and az the other end In the engraving
room, where skilled engravers are engaged work.
Ing out designs upon plates or steel Every scrap
OF the blank paper has 10 be accounted for and It
Is guarded as jealousy as though Il already mad
kept In the paper room Of the Treasury and IL
issued In quantities as required by the force un-
Engraving and Printing. The little bits OF steel
on which the engraverS work are also carefully
guarded. An Official OF the Treasury Department
receives them from the engraverS every evening
and locks them In strong vaults The next morn
Ing they are taken out again and the engravers
resume their work upon them. In these vaults
there are two Of them-the Treasury Department
has thousands Of plates and steel rolls, used In
printing money an stamps OF various kinds. The
vaults are, for convenience sake, located In the
Engraving and Printing building, but they are not
UNDER tine supervision OF that bureau When the
bureau needs plate OUT Oh the collection II por-
give receipt for it. The plates required for
use are borrowed every morning and returned
II is In the bureau Of Engraving and Printing
that the paper, the engraving, and the ink come
together, and with the aid OF manual skill and
mechanical appliances are transmitted into the
dollars that the American people are commonly
represented as struggling for with much avidity.
RECEIVING THE PAPER.
Up In the third story, to which TaE STAR re-
porter was conducted by an oficial OF the bureau,
Is the room where the paper Is received. portion
OF the room is divided from the rest by high iron
network railing. Clerks are busy at desks and
number OF young women are there rapidly count
Ing sheets OF paper. just as the reporter enters
tain paper, for which q reQuisition had been made
on the Treasury. The reQuisitioD, written on
blanks prepared for the purpose, contained many
items each stating the number OF sheets wanted
ana what they were wanted for. The sheets are
counted and a careful record made OF the whole
being piled in stacks with alternate LAYERS Of wet
cloths From this division OF the bureau the paper
Is issued 10 the plate printers, who make reQusi-
tion for II as required by them. Each plate printer
has young woman as q helper. The helper
comes for the paper, signs receipt for 1t, and has
TO certify that she has received the required num-
TO certify TO this. and the plate printer has TO GER
THY that he witnessed the count. SO 1t is known
possession, and he has to account before leaving
SON he leaves the building before MS s' day. ySs
WORK Is done he has to get q pass-card
with formidable array OF signatures on It, before
IL Will be honored at the door, This card mas
blank spaces In which are filled 10 numbers show
amount No nm M of
work done, and the number Of sheets returned Ir
has TO BE- signed BY the clerk OF the wetting divi-
sion, py an examining clerk, and BY others who
When the helper has obtained the paper from
the wetting room she takes II with her to the
printing room, and unless one is watching her
closely she is soon lost to view IN the busy throng
there.
THE PRINTING ROOM.
The large apartment where the presses are ct
work takes up nearly the whole third floor BY
each press is q plate-printer, with arms barred to
the shoulder and stained TO the elbows with Ink.
At the other side Of the press is the girl who helps
him. The work OF the printer requires much
physical exertion, and the ngures constantly and
fascinating animation to the scene. Tine press OF
the ordinary pattern has nat platform called the
plank that passes 10 and fro under the rollers.
This platform Is OF heavy metal, and the motive
power Is the Drawn and muscle OF the printer,
who sends The platform back and forth by giving
handles that Iaaase is tss suo OE o
wheel on one side or the press. When the platform
10 which the plate Is attached comes back TO the
printer arter an impression 10 made the printer
covers me surface or The plate with ink by passing
roller overit- IL Is required that the Ink shall Ill
only the lines cut into the steel, So with rapid
movement with swab OF clOtHthe printer wipes
on the supernuOuS ink. Then with his hands he
goes rapidly over the plate, rubbing the Ink into
the lines, and, finally, with a trained and defcate
touch polishing the surface Of the plate All this
Is done by skilled men so quickly that the girl
helper has hardy time 10 take from the stack OF
paper at her side fresh sheet OF paper and adjust
it On the roller ready for another Impression.
linen the printer gives turn TO one Of the big
spokeA The platform passes under the roller
which leaves the printed sheet on the plate; the
girl lifts the sheet on, rapidly scrutinzes it and
deity places on the evenly stacked pile OF sheets
already printed, and the platform returns auto
maticaliy 10 It's FIRST position, and receives
new deluge OF Ink on its return. This process Is
constantly repeated, and all the time the press Is
keeping watch on the printer and keeping tally
against hlm. Attached TO each press locked up In
a case, Is q register that makes an MEMORABLE
Key that unlocks the case and reveals the secrets
OF the register. The printer not only has TO ac-
count Tor every sheet OF paper he receives but
every Impression taken on his press He might
otherwise take an tnpre sson on paper OF his own.
OLD AND NEw-FAsaIONBD METHODS.
There are stfl In use In the bureau some presses
OF old pattern that are not far removed Ia me-
chanical development from the press used In the
days Of Albert Durer. In fact, 1t Is only recently
that advances have been made In plate printing
presses On one OF these Old presses the PRIMER
has " laooriously propel the platform under the
roller; tnen with another movement TO bring the
bed and carries Il 10 gas stove on which he laws
it while ne inks and DOlIshes Then he has 70